Lacking Inspiration? How to get Un-Stuck

By Angela Cooley

www.iainclaridge.co.uk

We've all been there: the deadline is approaching, and you know you can get this project done in enough time if you could only come up with the perfect idea... and you end up spending an hour staring at a blank page. Thought seems to screech to a halt while time slips away, and even after all the time you've invested, you're no closer to the finish line than when you started.  Finding the right jumping-off point is an art, not a science, and I want to share a few tips that help me get "un-stuck" when inspiration is scarce.

Don't edit as you go.

Everything doesn't have to be perfect the first time around! I know it can be difficult, but resist the urge to self-edit too much in the early stages of a project, it completely stifles the creative process. If you spend less time shooting down your ideas and instead take them for a test drive, you can get a better sense of any problems or shortcomings. Then you can decide whether to discard it completely or work on its weak points; the solution you've been looking for might only be a tune-up away! When you have a substantial rough draft coming together, you can (and should) put your Super-Critical Hat back on and edit the tar out of it so your final result is as polished as possible.

If this method doesn't work, don't waste your time banging your head against the wall. Instead, do something else.

I know it seems counter-productive, but really, just walk away before you get too wound up to function. Work on something else, like a reading assignment, where you don't necessarily have to generate new content.  If you have the luxury of free time, go ahead and take an hour to watch a TV show or spend a while just vegging out.  You'll return to your task with a clear head and a fresh perspective.

These are the techniques I use to break out of writer's/designer's block, and I hope they'll help you overthrow whatever nasty block is giving you trouble.